Fire protection devices or sprinklers, which discharge a firefighting fluid such as water, gas or other chemical agent, can be designed to protect a variety of occupancies, both commercial and residential. For many of these applications the sprinkler is installed within a cored through hole or other opening in a wall or ceiling of an area to be protected by the sprinkler. Generally, the sprinkler includes a body having an inlet end connected to a fluid supply or branch line behind the wall or above the ceiling and an outlet end positioned to provide protection to the protection area. The sprinkler includes a thermally responsive trigger and fluid distribution components for distributing a firefighting fluid upon thermal actuation of the sprinkler. For some concealed type sprinklers, the trigger is supported by the sprinkler body and the fluid distribution components are embodied by an internal fluid deflector assembly. The sprinkler is positioned within the cored through hole such that, upon actuation, the fluid distribution components of the sprinkler, such as for example the internal fluid deflector assembly, are in their operative position to properly address a fire or other heat generating event in accordance with the designed performance of the sprinkler. As used herein, “operative position” describes the installed relative position of a component to another component or structure that is desired, designed, or required in order for the component(s) to operate as intended when in service.
TYCO FIRE PRODUCTS LP Technical Data Sheet TFP651 entitled “RAVEN 5.6K Institutional Sprinklers Pendent and Horizontal Sidewall Quick Response, Standard and Extended Coverage” (August 2013), which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, describes installation of a concealed sprinkler in a cored through hole of a wall. The sprinkler body includes an external tapered thread, e.g., National (American) Pipe Thread Tapered (NPT) at its inlet end for coupling to a pipe fitting, such as for example a reducer fitting of the fluid supply piping, having a corresponding internal tapered thread. The proper location of the pipe fitting relative to the mounting surface of the wall and its tapered threaded engagement with the sprinkler body properly locates a thermally responsive trigger and internal deflector assembly in their operative positions relative to the mounting surface of the wall surrounding the cored through hole formed in the wall. The installation can include a captive escutcheon disposed about the sprinkler frame for mounting flush to the mounting surface of the wall. The escutcheon can also act to properly locate the components in their operative position by controlling the depth of the sprinkler frame within the through hole. Additional details of the tapered thread installation are described in Technical Data Sheet TFP651.
There is a need for an installation device and method for installing and locating a sprinkler in its operative position in either unfinished or finished wall systems in the absence of a tapered thread and corresponding tapered thread engagement. For example, a sprinkler body employing a coupling mechanism other than a tapered thread, such as a straight or parallel thread, e.g., British Standard Pipe Parallel thread (BSPP), quick-connect coupling, or adjustable fitting, can present such a need for devices or methods to properly locate the sprinkler, thermally responsive trigger and internal deflector in their operative positions relative to, for example, the mounting surface of the surrounding wall. An exemplary sprinkler using an adjustable fitting is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,952 to Mears, which is directed to an adjustable drop nipple for a pendent sprinkler. Moreover, there is a need for an installation device and method for installing and locating a sprinkler to allow a captive escutcheon to be flush mounted to the wall mounting face about the sprinkler. If the sprinkler is not coupled to the fluid supply piping at a sufficient depth within the through hole of the wall, the escutcheon might be loosely disposed about the sprinkler.